Contents

Biography

Genesis

"Behold that I shall set you amongst the greatest of my Cerebrates, that you might benefit from their wisdom and experience. Yet your purpose is unique. While they carry forth my will to the innumerable Broods, you have but one charge entrusted to your care. For I have found a creature that may yet become the greatest of my agents. Even now it resides within a protective Chrysalis, awaiting its rebirth into the Swarm. You must watch over the Chrysalis, and ensure that no harm comes to the creature within it. Go now and keep safe my prize."

The zerg captured a psionically-gifted terran, Sarah Kerrigan, during the fall of Tarsonis. The terran required a period of incubation in a chrysalis before she could become a powerful agent for the Swarm. The Overmind created the cerebrate on Tarsonis specifically to guard the chrysalis during this vulnerable stage.

The cerebrate established a small hive cluster on Tarsonis. It was supervised by Daggoth, a senior cerebrate and leader of the Tiamat Brood, and Zasz, leader of the Garm Brood. On Zasz's order the cerebrate destroyed a nearby group of terrans to ensure the safety of the chrysalis and hive cluster.[1]

Egression

"I am well pleased young Cerebrate, and so long as my prize remains intact, I shall remain pleased. Thus, its life and yours shall be made as one. As it prospers, so shall you. For you are part of the Swarm. If ever your flesh should fail, that flesh shall be made anew. That is my covenant with all Cerebrates."

In a short time the cerebrate grew strong enough to endure warp travel, and the Overmind decreed the Swarm relocate to Char. The cerebrate and chrysalis were escorted through protoss forces[2] at New Gettysburg;[3] Tiamat Brood Hunter Killers formed part of the escort. Once safely through the cerebrate experienced its first warp jump and journeyed to Char.[2]

Char

Though vulnerable, Kerrigan was not dormant. Her psionic emanations drew terrans and protoss alike to Char. The Terran Dominion's Alpha Squadron, led by General Edmund Duke, were the first to assault the chrysalis' resting place; the cerebrate counter-attacked and forced the terrans to abandon their landing zones[3] and retreat. The cerebrate relocated the chrysalis while Daggoth dealt with the remaining enemy forces.[4]

Alpha Squadron was followed by Raynor's Raiders. The attack came at a critical time as Kerrigan would soon emerge from the chrysalis. The cerebrate held off the new interlopers until Kerrigan emerged. With its new agent unleashed the Overmind ordered the zerg to press the attack. The Raiders were routed; Kerrigan allowed Jim Raynor and a few survivors to flee.[3]

Although unintended, Zeratul effectively traded the location of Aiur for the death of Zasz and his brood.[7] An exultant Overmind emerged from the shock caused from the permanent loss of a cerebrate. It ordered the majority of the Swarm to invade the protoss homeworld.[8] Kerrigan and the cerebrate remained on Char to hunt the remaining protoss. Even so, the cerebrate remotely presided over several pivotal battles on Aiur.[9][10]

Blade in the Darkness

Tracking the protoss was not as easy as first anticipated as their quarry continued to evade them. Kerrigan led with oft-counterproductive impatience. In the end this impatience was the cerebrate's undoing. History repeated itself when Kerrigan led her brood into a trap laid by Tassadar, Zeratul, and Raynor. While Raynor and Zeratul fought Kerrigan and the brood, Tassadar infiltrated the cerebrate's lair and killed it.[3]

↑Overmind: "Yet shall their overweening pride be their downfall. For when the assassin Zeratul murdered Zasz, his mind touched with mine, and all his secrets were made known to me. I have taken from his mind the secret location of Aiur, the Protoss Homeworld." StarCraft. Vivendi Games. Level/area: Eye for an Eye (in English). 1998.